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Comments: 188 +- Ask Slashdot: Linux-Friendly Label Printer Recomendations? on Thursday July 30 2009, @06:20PM
Posted
by
timothy
on Thursday July 30 2009, @06:20PM
from the whippersnapper-can't-address-envelopes-by-hand dept.
from the whippersnapper-can't-address-envelopes-by-hand dept.
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pdkl95 writes "I have been using some small, simple desktop label printers for quite a while now. Unfortunately, it's rapidly becoming clear that my printing needs are for something far more 'industrial strength.' Several of the label printers have failed, and they never really had the management features I wanted. So, does anybody have recommendations on label printers, that can hold up to a quite heavy load? The catch is that I'm printing to them from CUPS under Linux, and it seems like specialty-printers are a windows-centric field."
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Try Datamax (Score:5, Informative)
Helpful search string (Score:3, Informative)
at google [google.com]
(Not that I've used them, but I'm interested, too.)
Does Brother Make Any Label Printers? (Score:4, Informative)
Look further down. (Score:2)
An AC posted one down a bit further.
(I replied with some links. Haven't used it myself.)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Yes, we use the Brother P-Touch QL-550. It works fine with CUPS but we had to install a 3rd party (open source) driver for it that converts the postscript input from applications into the correct raster format for the printer.
Driver here: http://etc.nkadesign.com/Printers/QL550LabelPrinterCUPS [nkadesign.com]. Brother also release a binary-only driver, but why use that when an open source one works....
Re: (Score:2)
I have a Zebra printer I got off Ebay and it works great in Linux and CUPS. You just send it files in their EPL format (the programming guide is available online) and it prints it.
The only problem I have is that I can't seem to get it to work when printing labels from Paypal, but that's some kind of Java problem, not a problem with the printer or CUPS, since I also can't print to my regular laser printer from Paypal/Pitney-Bowes's stupid Java applet.
Software solution? (Score:4, Interesting)
It sucks that manufacturers don't really make printer drivers for a lot of high-end equipment for Linux, but I suppose that's the nature of things, when the vast majority of people who would need them tend to only use Windows or OS X.
Brother PT-9500PC (Score:4, Informative)
I use the Brother PT-9500PC a lot. Very well supported under linux, they have their own driver page. Connects by USB.
wunnaful wunnaful! (Score:3, Informative)
And here's a couple of linkies:
a Brother page [brother.com]
a google search page [google.com]
Yes, Indeed. (Score:3, Interesting)
Try Sato America.
http://www.satoamerica.com/ [satoamerica.com]
They are industrial oriented. You can get all sorts of solutions, of which the most universal would be serial based. You can connect those up to almost anything with a serial port, fill it up with large rolls of labels and drive it all in your own code if you want to.
Yes, I know, their own software is Windows based. Don't let that be the stumbling block.
Two jobs ago I worked at a luxury goods manufacturer and we printed items tags on a SATO serial printer off of our main frame. Its just a matter of sending the right control codes over the serial port.
Great (Score:2)
Can you put up a how-to?
Zebra (Score:5, Informative)
Labels come in most shapes and sizes. I believe we're using the LP2844 at the office; I'd have to double check but I believe UPS and FedEx send these out to their customers as well.
They are rugged. CUPS prints to them trivially. Labels are not terribly expensive, and they are fast.
Re: (Score:2)
I second this. I have that same Zebra printer and it works great in Linux/CUPS. Mine's even USB.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I use mine for two things, both being mailing labels, with no barcodes. First, I use it to print USPS mailing labels from Paypal. Second, I use it to print plain mailing labels (with to and from addresses) for outside-USA addresses. For this, I just designed my own label and wrote up the programming codes using their EPL Programming Manual. It's pretty simple: just make a text file with some codes for where you want the text to be, what the text should be, what size and orientation, etc. Send the file
Zebra (Score:2)
If you're willing to do your own output generation, Zebra Technologies [zebra.com] provides programming references for their printers.
zebra (Score:4, Informative)
I use zebra printers with a couple of clients - Linux + CUPS, no problem. You can find them online dirt cheap, just clean the rollers with alcohol to get them printing good.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm going to second (or third) Zebra printers. All configuration is done via regular ASCII codes, they are operating system agnostic, and they last a long time (eight years and counting for the ones I use at work).
Zebra printers work great (Score:2, Informative)
I haven't had many ha
ZEBRA = Your Friend (Score:2, Informative)
Zebra (Score:2, Informative)
Datamax is solid (Score:3, Informative)
We currently use DataMax I Series printers (specifically the DMX-I 4208 model). We've also used Zebra printers in the past. These are heavy duty printers using roll-fed label media (there's an option for a custom cutterhead, so you can actually have a label length specific to each print job).
These things are built like tanks and they have been amazingly trouble-free. You'll pay a price corresponding to this level of reliability but we've found them worth it. We print literally thousands of labels a month in critical line-of-business applications. The printers function much like laser printers in terms of their capability--all points addressable printing, DPL (equivalent to HP PCL) rendering language, integrated IP networking, self-hosted web administration pages, and so on.
Now the (few & relatively minor) downsides. I cannot comment on their Linux driver support. We use Windows Seagull drivers to host ours (Datamax doesn't make their own drivers, last I checked). Also we had to get 1 firmware update and 1 driver update to resolve a couple of infrequent but otherwise knotty problems.
There's no way to have multiple label media pre-loaded and software programmable (the equivalent of a cut-sheet laser printer's addressable drawers).
Oh, and they come with a decent manual. How many printers do that now?
i know 2 methods (Score:2)
OpenOffice and these label templates WorldLabel_dot_com [worldlabel.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Good link, Thanks much!
I've used OOo Calc for this task but hacked my own templates.
Nice to see a good variety of templates for this task have been made available.
At any rate, OOo Calc makes this a no brainer.
Re: (Score:2)
Simple Solution (Score:2)
I buy labels on 8.5 x 11 sheets. The label sizes don't matter. You can use any label you want.
Set up a OOo Calc spreadsheet. The first column is your left border. Next is your left label. next is the right label. Next is right border.
Top row is top border. Then set the next 10 or so rows as label heights.
Getting a clear picture how this is done?
Set your column and row to show border lines and print one to see how close you can get to a factory label sheet.
A little experimentations you will soon have a l
HP SP400 (Score:2)
It's a handheld wireless printer/scanner that prints directly onto boxes, no labels required. Pretty slick.
These were developed for UPS but anyone can buy them (if you have the money to burn.)
No mention of Linux drivers, etc. however.
Brother QL-550 with PTouch drivers (Score:3, Informative)
There is a useful summary page here on how to get it working. [nkadesign.com]
We use linux for all our mountain bike parts operations by the way.
Re:Can't you... (Score:4, Informative)
You're assuming that he's labeling letters rather than labeling something like test tubes on a one-by-one basis (ie, a sheet of labels would be wasted)
Googling around, it looks like if you take care of a few oddities you can use certain Dymo LabelWriters with CUPS. There's an older howto here [ubuntuforums.org]. We've got a few we've used (on windows) for years.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
In my experience, a sheet of labels can be run through a printer multiple times IF:
(1) it gets pulled from the end, not from the side
(2) you try to use the labels at the bottom first for best traction on subsequent passes, OR you flip it over and run it from the other end the next time (Avery sheets are symmetrical)
(3) your printer doesn't have a faint blee
Re:Can't you... (Score:5, Informative)
Um, the guy is NOT asking for a laser printer. I'm sure he already has a laser printer and was using a label printer cause lasers suck at label printing tasks. Label printers operate quite different. Manually feeding and re-feeding and re re re re re re re re re re feeding a sheet in a laser printer, modifying the print settings for each label is NOT the answer! Don't forget the 4 hours of labor with the printer torn apart trying to get loose labels off the inside of the printer, and the costs of replacement drums you have destroyed. A laser printer for *most* common label printing tasks is using the "hammer to drive in a screw" approach.
Keep in mind that label printer label stock comes in a lot more options than laser printer label stock. Some are variable length where you can print something really short or a foot long depending on the label needed. Some have special adhesive, some are laminated. Some are thermal paper where others are thermal transfer.
The solution is a unix friendly commercial unit. What makes them unix friendly? Simple: you can get programming docs for them. Zebra's are nice and you can even print by sending XML to it. Rather than trying to get a CUPS driver, which is pretty silly for labels, you put the "driver" in the application. The thing is, printing lots of labels just isn't something traditional apps (open office) are good at (outside of the traditional "print 400 copies of the same label" or "mailmerge"). You are much better off with a quick and dirty (web?) app that sends the right formatting commands directly to the printer. You can certainly get a cups driver for many many label printers, it's just not the best thing for cups to be in the middle between the app and the printer in most label printing cases that I have run across (years ago, I worked with industrial label printers.)
Unfortunately, it is IMPOSSIBLE for any of us to answer the question because we only have the "I need a computer that uses electricity" level of detail. What exactly does he need the labels for? Shipping boxes? Equipment tags? Wires? File folders? e-stamps? Can't recommend anything without knowing how it's going to be used.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I disagree about CUPS. I use CUPS for my Zebra LP2844 USB, and it works great. I can unplug and replug the printer (I move it between two computers) and it just works seamlessly. CUPS isn't a problem; it just provides the print queue. But it just sends the printer whatever you send to it. I send the printer custom EPL-coded text files (my printer doesn't support ZPL), and CUPS just passes them through.
So use CUPS; it already has a driver built-in for Zebra printers. It's not much of a "driver", as it'
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
We tried this at the office for a while.
To print one label at a time is wasteful; to get users to specify how many labels are already used off the sheet is too hard (and slow), and the printers are slow and prone to jam when you re-feed the label sheets.
This solution lasted about 4 weeks for us, then we were told to spend the $200 or so and get a real printer (Zebra, I believe LP2844).
It's not the SIZE that's the problem, it's that users are idiots and really need most of the work already done for them.
Re:Can't you... (Score:5, Insightful)
Or maybe they're actually doing work and don't want to sit there counting labels, going back to their desk and changing the print settings, and then dashing back and coaxing a fragile sheet of labels through a machine that will eat it 30% of the time, instead of just clicking the little printer button and peeling off a label.
Parent
Holy shit (Score:2, Insightful)
Q: Can anyone recommend a Linux-friendly label printer?
Typical Slashdot answer: You can get a label printer from X company. If you install the software and loop the output back into a terminal you can hack the control codes and design your own printer driver.
Buzzword answer: Using a cloud service, you could upload your printing needs via a lightweight AJAX interface and have the results mailed to you.
Sane answer: Get a cheap Windows PC and choose from the many supported label printers.
Of course, the sane an
Re: (Score:2)
Don't be an idiot. The loopback thing was a helpful suggestion on how to use their Windows-only software to design attractive labels, and then print those in Linux. If you don't want fancy labels, you don't have to do that.
As it is, Zebra printers are already supported in CUPS/Linux, so there's no barrier here. The only problem is that their value-added software for making pretty labels is Windows-only, but that doesn't keep you from using the printer in Linux. I use my Zebra printer all the time in Lin
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Stop being such a dickhead. Often there is a perfectly usable solution for Linux, but there's no real marketing. You know the good kind of marketing, that actually tells you of your options. So you ask a large group of people likely to have the answer and you might find one. Or you might not, but now the odds are pretty good there isn't one. Linux compatibility follows no sane pattern, the exact same class of printer or even cheaper can work flawlessly and the big name printer is a damn paperweight. Brand i
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Really? How about "You buy X, set it up in CUPS (like you specified), and it just works, just like you want it to."
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Sane answer: Get a cheap Windows PC and choose from the many supported label printers.
Right, the OP couldn't possibly have a valid reason to want to run his printer on linux.
I've never seen a cheap Windows PC. I network my systems and count the manpower required to keep them stable and secure.
Re: (Score:2)
I have to say this, you are true to your nick.
If you go to your doctor and say "Hey doc, it hurts when I do this!", despite the humor, it is not a valid response to say "Well stop doing that!"
Re: (Score:2)
It is if "that" is something like "stab myself self in the hand with a fork".
why is this modded down? (Score:2)
A quick search on google produced this [google.com].
Any other information people would need?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Go to the nearest electronics store and buy 20 random pieces of hardware. Plug them into 4 computers, running any modern Linux distro, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Tell me how many of them work without installing additional software on each OS.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
It is in most corporate environments. I can bring any hardware I want to work (I love my ergonomic keyboard), as long as it works in Windows XP out of the box. No driver downloads/installs allowed.
And don't forget the very large number of home users who are baffled by instructions like "click on the link" or "insert the disc". Installing a driver is, quite often, "a problem".
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Installing a driver is, quite often, "a problem".
Absolutely. We've still got hardware that comes with a Windows driver disk with a day-glo sticker on it saying "install me first" and a piece of hardware with a little cap on its USB port secured by another day-glo sticker telling you to find that CD before plugging in the device. Case in point, I got two identical web cams, one for my Mom, one for me. She thought it'd be nice if she could see her granddaughter in-between my occasional trips upstairs^B^B^B^B^B^B^B^Bback home. Mine plugs into Ubuntu mach
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Is there really any need for that sort of Microsoft bashing?
Yes. Bringing some balance to a multi billion dollar marketing machine.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Why, there are many printers that Linux supports. The problem is that the manufacturer doesn't directly support them so it's currently difficult figuring out which one were. That's were asking a community of people who uses *nix comes in handy. And yes, there is a difference between Linux supporting something and the manufacturer supporting it. Often that difference is only in where to look for drivers and capabilities and who to ask for help. It's not difficult, especially if you take your time and look ar
Re: (Score:2)
does it take longer than 30 seconds to get them?
Re: (Score:2)
Does it blend?
Re: (Score:2)
If you have the skills to do so. Many people are lacking that and the time to get it going but for whatever reason, they are still using OSS.
That's what OSS is about, freedom. Sometimes you might just need to pay a little more for it.